


when life gives you lemons, you don't make lemonade

by luckiehawk



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hope's Peak Academy (Dangan Ronpa), Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Background Class 77-B, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:47:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25438675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luckiehawk/pseuds/luckiehawk
Summary: there was one word to describe fuyuhiko kuzuryu's relationship with peko pekoyama: close. she was his personal bodyguard from a young age, his first best friend, and was always there for him. they were practically soulmates. growing up in a hostile environment, such as the yakuza clan, gave them a bond for life. they'd protected each other at every turn and had gone through everything together. now, they were going through an even bigger challenge than fighting off his parents' foes or getting a scrape on a bike - high school.their time at hope's peak had started off well. they made a small group of friends, fell into electives, and found new things they liked. things were going absolutely perfect.until peko got a boyfriend. a stupid boyfriend who took time away from his time with peko and just...peko in general. it bothered fuyuhiko, but not much. he was just a stupid diplomat from class 76, no big deal. right?
Relationships: Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko/Pekoyama Peko, Kuzuryu Natsumi/Sato, Nidai Nekomaru/Owari Akane, Soda Kazuichi/Tanaka Gundham
Comments: 6
Kudos: 55





	1. realizations

there was one word to describe fuyuhiko kuzuryu's relationship with peko pekoyama: close. she was his personal bodyguard from a young age, his first best friend, and was always there for him. they were practically soulmates. growing up in a hostile environment, such as the yakuza clan, gave them a bond for life. they'd protected each other at every turn and had gone through everything together. now, they were going through an even bigger challenge than fighting off his parents' foes or getting a scrape on a bike - high school.

their time at hope's peak had started off well. they made a small group of friends, fell into electives, and found new things they liked. things were going absolutely perfect.

 _until peko got a boyfriend._ a stupid boyfriend who took time away from his time with peko and just...peko in general. it bothered fuyuhiko, but not much. he was just a stupid diplomat from class 76, no big deal. right?

* * *

the crisp october winds bit at fuyuhiko's face as he walked along with kazuichi souda. akane and nekomaru ran ahead, laughing and yelling about some training they were doing. the yakuza didn't pay any mind to it. he was too busy in his own head, nagging himself about how something felt...off.

"hey, fuyuhiko?" a voice cut into his thought process. it was souda. "you okay? you look kinda...off, bud." the pink-haired mechanic asked.

fuyuhiko pulled up his scarf to avoid further questioning about whatever face he was making. "yea, 'm fine, back off of it." he grumbled.

kazuichi looked forward, watching akane and nekomaru play happily in the fallen leaves. the two of them had been dating ever since teruteru introduced them during the second week of school. the pinkette nudged his arm. "are ya sure? you're never as openly happy as them, but somethin's definitely off-"

"i said it was nothing!" the yakuza growled, a little bit louder this time. he was sick of being grilled just because he wasn't talking. it happened too often and too much.

what kazuichi said next stopped fuyuhiko in his tracks. "are you sure it isn't because peko isn't here? just an observation..."

who the hell did he think he was, asking about peko like that? "listen here, bastard! just because she isn't here doesn't mean i obsessively miss her. she's off hanging out with her dumb boyfriend. i couldn't care less." maybe he came off too harsh, but not really. he deserved it for prying!

the mechanic snickered, leaning on the smaller male's shoulder. "oh c'mon, you can't act like you aren't _in love_ with her, fuyuhiko. y'know, you can just say that you-" 

he was cut out by a (mostly) playful punch to the mouth. fuyuhiko had some reevaluating to do later.

* * *

"he broke up with me. i really can't believe to broke up with me..."

"peko, honey, he isn't worth the tears." sonia consoled, still running a brush through peko's hair.

mahiru looked up from her camera. "he's a stupid boy, peko. there's plenty more crawling around this school."

an emergency girl's day was called after peko's boyfriend had broke up with her. mahiru, sonia, and ibuki had stormed her dorm, snacks and useless material items to make her feel better in hand. even though they only dated for about three weeks, there was a deep connection between her and tagaki. he was her first boyfriend, after all, but it was odd for her to be so...emotional...over it. 

peko could only offer a sigh, turning around to face sonia. "i know there's plenty of other guys, but he was special." she mumbled, immediately regretting her choice of words. "he was my first boyfriend..."

"he dumped you for that third year girl." ibuki chimed in. "not only is he a dog, but he's ugly, forgettable, and had no fashion taste. ibuki didn't like him." the rockstar was met by laughs and subtle chastising from mahiru. "what? i'm just being honest. you know what i always say about love."

a slight smile cracked on peko's lips. at the same time, all four of them stated in unison, "it's slippery when wet!"

cackling laughter came from the group until it was broken by the swordswoman. "damn, i wonder how fuyuhiko's gonna take this."

"he didn't seem to take the news about you _getting_ with tagaki well, so maybe he'll take it well that you broke up with him." mahiru said plainly, returning to looking back at her camera.

ibuki smiled devishly, earning a stare from peko. "maybe it's because he's in _loveeeee_ with you!" she cheered. "may his heart swell at the thought of-" a pillow took her clean off of the bed.

"that's for ever implying that." peko said, a small laugh following her statement. 

maybe the idea made her a tiny bit happy to think of that, not that she'd admit it.

* * *

a few hours later, fuyuhiko had finally settled back into his dorm room. it was nice enough to be alone and finally do his own thinking. like, did he have feelings for peko? that would be gross, romance was gross. then again, he didn't have any experience with this shit. _fuck._ he got up from his bed to pace around the small room. so, he missed hanging out with her, a lot. and he liked spending time with her...a lot. and yeah, maybe he thought she was pretty...kazuichi was fucking right. there was something there. why did he have to curse himself-

_knock, knock, knock._

fuck, who was interrupting his fucking thoughts now? the yakuza stormed over to the door, throwing it open as he prepared to yell in whoever it was's face. "listen here, bastard!" he began, but ultimately realized who it was...peko.

she stood before him, biting her lip anxiously. "i'm sorry, is now a bad time?" she said, her voice sounding ever so delicate.

fuyuhiko took in a breath, nodding and moving to let her in. "no, not at all. take a seat." he gestured to his chair that rested before his desk. "are you okay?"

peko shook her head from side to side. "he broke up with me...i guess."

the yakuza froze up in his spot with clenched fists. there was going to be hell to pay. 


	2. peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a masquerade is going to be thrown! peko goes dress shopping with the girls. fuyuhiko learns that his feelings may be very real. what could go wrong? peko gets an idea...and ropes him into it. what could go wrong?

_"he broke up with me...i guess."_

fuyuhiko swallowed his pride and let the raging anger bubble over. he couldn't believe it. his nails were digging into his fists at this point. it was hard enough for him not to turn around and storm off to go find this guy so he could deck him in the fuckin' face. he was beyond angry now...he just wanted to hug her and let her know everything was gonna be okay. he could do that, right?

"fuyuhiko? are you okay?" peko broke his angered thoughts. her face lacked any real emotion, just something that looked slightly confused and protective. "i can go if needed-"

fuyuhiko shook his head, flopping down on the bed to be even at her height. "no, please don't go," he started, settling his tone to come off softer. it was a habit he'd developed from learning how to talk to his younger sisters when mom and pa would fight. it worked for natsumi and kurenai, but would it work for peko? hopefully. he let out a warm sigh, staring the swordswoman down. "i'm sorry for getting aggressive...but you know that i am about as protective of you as you are of me." that was probably a white lie, but to him, it was certainly true. 

peko nodded, looking over to where the blonde sat. "are you asking if i want you to murder him for me? because that's my job-"

the both of them broke out into a jovial laughter, resulting in fuyuhiko throwing a gentle punch to her shoulder. "oh...shut up, peko."

"i'll never shut up as long as you're around." she said, making both the yakuza and herself light up with a pink color across her face.

it was going to be hard hiding this from her.

* * *

the next morning's breakfast was already bustling with activity when fuyuhiko and peko sat down. they took their normal seats at their respective table, with fuyuhiko next to souda and peko next to akane. the rest of the group was happily blabbering on about something that seemed to catch fuyuhiko's attention. 

"yeah, so apparently ruruka-chan is throwin' a costume party!" ibuki cheered, waving her fork around happily. _'could be way more careful with that, mioda.'_ fuyuhiko thought to himself as he snagged down on a random piece of toast that was shoved in front of him by kazuichi, probably.

teruteru swung by the table, picking up discarded breakfast plates and replacing them with smaller dishes of desserts. "i dunno about a costume party, i think it's a big ol' masquerade!" he said happily, quietly excusing himself before disappearing to his workspace.

akane rolled her eyes. "so the kind of stuff like in that one hilary duff movie? with the masks and all the poofy shit? i don't think it's my scene but i'll end up going with the old man."

"it certainly seems like something i'd love to experience!" sonia chimed into the conversation. "perhaps us girls can go dress shopping and prepare masks together!"

there was an uproar of agreement from the ladies of the table. although, peko remained slightly quiet throughout all of it. now that the yakuza thought about it, she had been rather quiet all morning. it was concerning. maybe it was just peko being peko. it didn't seem quite like that, though. after a few minutes, the chattering died down enough for nekomaru to notice the look on peko's face. as much as he loved nekomaru, fuyuhiko didn't want him of all people prying into his- peko's problems. 

"yo pekoyama, you okay?" the coach asked, pointing his spoon at the girl who sat across the table from him. peko was caught in surprise, nodding her head rapidly in response. 

peko let out a soft sigh, looking up to the bigger friend. "yeah, i'm okay. just trying to process how to go about attending without it being...y'know."

quiet fell over the table again. _great_. it was one thing for things to get awkward, but to let peko think she was the cause of it? that idea didn't rest well with fuyuhiko. he let out a small cough, looking up from his plate. "hey uh, why don't you go shopping with the girls, peko? i'm sure having a girls' day will make shit feel easier."

once again, an uproar of chatter from the girls started again. he smiled to himself, quite proud of what he had done, even though it wasn't much. his eye caught peko's face, who had the slightest glimmer of a smile captured. god, it made him feel so...empowered. how could someone hold so much power over someone? he was whipped.

* * *

the girls had drug peko to some fancy department store filled with dresses they could buy on a whim for a cheaper price. it wouldn't be her first selection, but it had been a while since she had needed to wear a fancier dress. not every day was a kuzuryu holiday ball. ibuki was the first one in the dressing room. she had ran in with a stack of dresses, every color and cut imaginable. every time she came out of the dressing room, they'd all laugh and tell her how they liked it and how beautiful she looked. mahiru even snapped pictures of them doing dumb, sentimental stuff every now and again. 

maybe fuyuhiko was right. no, he was definitely right. she did need this.

the dressing room curtain parted once again. ibuki came out in a plain black dress, adorned with tulle across the chest and the waist. "ibuki loves it! how we feelin' about it?" she said happily.

"ibuki, i hate to break it to you, but that dress is not you...at all." akane said, toying with some of the fringe from another dress ibuki had discarded.

"i know! i'm gonna jazz it up with fabric and make a hella cool mask to go with it." she said, a proud smile on her face. "i'll even make alterations to your dresses if ya need em!" 

the group's activity level went back on with a newfound spark of creativity after ibuki's commentary. sonia had ended up with an emerald, mermaid-ish dress, hiyoko had a poofy pink dress, and even akane found a dress she was comfortable in. now, it was her own turn to pick out a dress. a few minutes of rummaging the racks brought peko six different choices. ibuki practically shoved her into the dressing room with how excited she was. jeez, did they really want to see her in a dress that bad?

the first dress was a total flop, with it being way too revealing and impractical for anything other than being a trophy wife. the second was, "way out of her orbit," according to ibuki, and the third and fourth just weren't comfortable. peko was about to lose hope with this shit. she let out a sigh as she let sonia pull up the zipper to this one, immediately hearing her phone ding the moment the zipper reached her upper back. "hey sonia, can you grab that for me, please? also read it please." she said absentmindedly, playing with the fluffy skirt that entertained her lower half.

sonia scooped up peko's phone, clicking it on. "uh, i believe it is from fuyuhiko!" she said, tapping on the message to read it. "he says, 'hope you're having a good time. you gotta show me the dress when you get back!'"

peko's face immediately went pink. that's right- the dress! she didn't even think to look at herself fully. the swordswoman looked up to the mirror, letting out a small gasp as she took in how she looked. sure, her hair was still in it's usual braids and she wore no makeup, but it made her feel...stunning. the gold accents that ran down the black trim and cascaded out onto the skirt was the most beautiful thing about it. the top was even practical enough to hide a sword in. "it sounds silly, but i think this dress was made for me..." she mumbled, turning around slightly so sonia could see.

the princess let out an audible gasp. "peko! you look absolutely stunning!" she said, her face lighting up with a bright smile. "i caught your reaction in a photo so you could see it!"

"thank you, love. i'll make sure to look at it in a little bit." peko said, a giddy smile on her face. she didn't even bother taking her phone back from sonia before barging out of the dressing room, spinning around in front of the gaggle of hope's peak students before her. she was met with a chorus of compliments and wolf whistles. is this how sonia felt every time she walked into a room?

ibuki clapped, bringing a quiet over the group. "peko! you gotta get that one!" she cheered, rushing up to the swordswoman. "you literally look like...peko, but as a princess!"

peko giggled softly, taking ibuki into a hug. mahiru snapped a photo of the exchange, causing mikan to jump and sending hiyoko into a fit of laughter. god, this was such a precious moment. after a minute of laughter, sonia spoke up from the corner of the room. "peko! fuyuhiko wrote you back! he says, 'the dress looks very nice on you. now i know how to theme my suit!'" 

but peko didn't text him back. did sonia send him the picture she took? damnit. she wanted to be the one who showed herself off. this thought was snapped off by ibuki, who tugged ruthlessly on her arm. "see what i _mean_ , peko? he's gotta be in love with you!" 

"now now, ibuki, i don't think fuyuhiko'd be in love with me." she said, setting ibuki down in the empty seat next to mikan. she smoothed out the dress again, gentle enough not to tear anything. "he's just being nice. we're best friends."

mikan looked up from the floor, gently raising her hand. "b-but...he said he k-knew how to theme his suit...that implies-"

"he wants to bring you on a date!" ibuki squealed, leaving poor mikan to be cut off and forgotten in the conversation.

a small smile came to peko's face. the gears were turning in her head. she had an idea.

* * *

when the girls decided to go shopping, the boys decided to settle in the common room and just be lazy for the day. it was nice, considering how busy they were during the week. fuyuhiko sat next to kaz, his phone resting in the space between them on the couch. they were absent-mindedly talking about whatever subject crossed their minds, just being boys.

"so, the girls went shopping. akane sent me some pictures." nekomaru said, looking among the group. some of them nodded along, but fuyuhiko zoned out once again. he was tired of dealing with girls. 

kaz tapped the yakuza's ankle that was resting on the back of the couch. "yo babyman, you text peko yet?"

fuyuhiko just shook his head. "nah, figured i'd let her have fun without me being down her throat every minute like you are with gundham."

"hey, hey, i'm not that clingy to my boyfriend," kaz laughed, earning a quizzical glance from said boyfriend. "but if you won't text her, i will on your behalf." 

fuyuhiko half sat up to punch the mechanic's thigh. "i don't care. just don't sound too out of character for me, aight? or i'll skin gundham and wear his bones as a necklace." after more absentminded chatter, fuyuhiko's phone went off again. kaz picked it up, his mouth dropping at what the yakuza assumed to be the text. "did she respond?" kaz only nodded, handing the device over to fuyuhiko. wow. wow wow wow wow wow- she was stunning. it was a photo of her in what he assumed was the dress for the dance, staring in the mirror with the small smile she would present when she saw animals. 

"tell her i think she looks beauti- nice. she looks nice." 

* * *

peko had gotten home just in time to rush over to fuyuhiko's door, pounding on it with a newfound energy she hadn't felt in close to two weeks. she stood with the dry cleaning bag containing the dress in her arms, patiently waiting for him to open it.

fuyuhiko slowly opened the door, seeing peko standing there with that goofy grin he lo- liked so much.

"i have a plan." she said, her eyes growing wider in enthusiasm. "fuyuhiko, will you be my _fake date_ to the dance?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can we appreciate kaz and sonia being the best wingmen ever? but hi guys :3 im glad you all are enjoying this! i wrote this because taylor swift's new album dropped and some of the songs...woah i cried while writing this. the title is a reference to a song that i'm going to deeply associate with fuyupeko now, peace. it's such a beautiful album and i really recommend it! have a fun read, everyone!


	3. stu-PANDA-ous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> even though he's still trying to keep his feelings hidden, fuyuhiko's epic "proposal" happens. peko makes a discovery of her own.

"i have a plan." she said, her eyes growing wider in enthusiasm. "fuyuhiko, will you be my _fake date_ to the dance?" peko asked, eagerly clutching the dress that laid across her arms.

it took fuyuhiko a moment to realize what was actually going on. he chuckled softly, looking at the swordswoman with glee. "peko...are you being serious? because this isn't a good dance-posal. i'm supposed to ask you and make it all sappy and shit."

her eyes went wide as she pushed passed the smaller boy, making her way into his room. she couldn't believe her ears. was he actually agreeing to it? "okay, well how do you expect me to know this stuff? i suck with romance." she mumbled, flopping down onto his dorm bed.

"says the one who's actually had a boyfriend," the yakuza had also made his way over, opting to settle at the foot of the bed over anywhere else. "we can watch some videos on it and decide what cheesy way you wanna be embarrassed tomorrow." he leant over to his dresser, picking up the macbook that rested on it. he opened the laptop, quickly accessing youtube and setting it before peko. the page was littered with videos with bright red 'PROMPOSALS' in the titles. it seemed like something genuinely lovesick couples did for each other, like akane and nekomaru. it was way too big for her doing, but if it was fake, there was no harm to it.

they had settled on a playlist with about fifty videos to choose from, starting off with one that was appropriately titled 'the promposal to end all promposals!' peko let out a soft sigh, dropping her head onto fuyuhiko's shoulder as she got comfortable to watch the video.

this was going to be a long day.

* * *

fuyuhiko had enlisted kaz's help with the promposal- er, _fake_ promposal. they had to carry a few more things down to the dining hall so the act could be complete. they were carrying a large, plush panda and a sign respectively. what? if he was gonna go all out, he had to make it seem genuine.

"fuyuhiko, dude, i know you like her, but can't you just ask her? like, it's just a party." kaz asked, his eyes trained on the ground out of boredom. 

fuyuhiko could only roll his eyes. "shut up, bastard! peko's worth more than that! she deserves the best."

kaz threw up the middle finger at him, earning a loving kick to the kneecap from the yakuza. they finally reached the double doors to the cafeteria. fuyuhiko took in a breath, looking over to his best friend for some kind of support. he knew it was all fake, but his feelings were real...very real. "you're lucky i didn't make you wear the panda suit."

"oh, shut up and get in there!" the mechanic encouraged, pushing open the door and then pushing fuyuhiko in. rude. 

all eyes were on them as the door clattered loudly. dead silence. perfect. fuyuhiko took a few strides forward, stepping up onto an empty table teruteru had cleared for use for the proposal. he still clutched the sign, scanning the room until he saw peko. she was sitting with the rest of their friends, with sonia already tugging on her sleeve to look in his direction. once he saw her start to mumble a response to the princess, he started to speak. "peko pekoyama...where does it start with you? first of all, you're BEARY special to me." 

the crowd offered some soft laughs, eyes still trained on him. he motioned for kaz to come forward and take the sign to hand him the stuffed bear. he held it up, pointing out to her. 

"so, to a very stu-PANDA-ous girl, will you go to the masquerade with me?"

silence among everyone. oh god...did he do too much?

peko stood up from the table, nodding rapidly before hopping over the surface in front of her and pushing past mikan to get to where he was.

_a success._

he leapt off the table as she began to make her way over. soon enough, she had enveloped him in a hug and a fit of giggles as the rest of the cafeteria laughed and cheered along. it felt so real yet sounded like something out of a damn fanfiction. it was perfect. 

he gently stroked her hair as he scanned through the crowd for a familiar face. one that stood out against the crowd. one so warped with jealousy it was actually funny.

there sat the diplomat, confused at the tableau before him. 

suck it, tagaki!

* * *

a couple of the girls were crowded around sonia's phone, watching the video of the situation that had unfolded among them that morning. ibuki snickered at it, before looking over to peko. "i can't believe he won you over with bear puns, peko-peko! it's so lame!"

peko only giggled, shaking her head at the rockstar. "i, for one, thought it was sweet. plus, panda's are my favorite animal, so it all just makes it a fond memory to me."

"pretty decent job for a male. he even had kazuichi help. i can't believe i'm saying it, but it was sweet, he really cares, peko." mahiru said, giving her friend a soft smile. "it's like you guys are meant to be." 

she pushed up her glasses in an effort to hide her blush. "i mean, we're just going to a party together-"

"and he made that big of a deal about it," chimed hiyoko.

"and he called you beautiful!" ibuki squawked. 

peko hid her face in her hands. they really had to go and embarrass her right now...but also made her realize something deeply, truly, significant about herself. 

"peko has a boyfriend!!!" mikan laughed, gently poking at the swordswoman's shoulder.

as much as she didn't want to admit that the feeling was real, she liked the feeling of existing like that with fuyuhiko.

she let out a gentle sigh, looking around the crowd around her. "you're correct, i do have a boyfriend."

hiyoko jumped up and down with excitement. "can i threaten him? i didn't get to do that with your last one!"

a silence fell over them before akane whistled, signaling for someone to speak. peko nodded at her, picking up the conversation again. "it's okay, hiyoko. you didn't do anything. plus, that was about a month ago. i'm over it." she said, letting out an awkward chuckle. "plus, he's a yakuza, don't threaten him."

mahiru rolled her eyes playfully. "i agree with you, peko. this is the happiest i've seen you in like...a while. i know it isn't just fuyuhiko, but he seems to really make you feel good."

she nodded along, smiling brightly as the schoolbell rung. "i hate to end our conversation here, but something tells me chisa won't wanna hear the same bear puns on a loop for an entire class period."

the whole group erupted into laughter as sonia shut off her phone. the boys walked in, with fuyuhiko immediately beelining up to her. "hey, peks." he said gently, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

_this was what love felt like._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! look! another chapter! this one is a little bit shorter because it's kind of a filler (so will next chapter) before the big dance starts on chapter five! do we have any predictions? what'd gonna happen? whoooo knows!


	4. actuality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's the day of the dance. peko is dealing with some...revelations. sonia asks a question that sets her off guard. what will happen?

_this was what love felt like._

two weeks had passed since the panda incident. two weeks of pretending to be an actual couple with fuyuhiko, two weeks of cuddling up and falling asleep watching hannah montana. two weeks of hiding what felt like the most important thing peko had ever felt in her life. their classmates were all convinced that the two of them were a happy couple. fuyuhiko went the extra mile to make her feel like a damn princess. it felt so genuine. maybe she was reading into it too much. maybe it was just easy for him since they were already so close. it scared her that she was falling in too deep.

these thoughts were the ones that kept her up at three am, when fuyuhiko was sound asleep on her chest. tonight of all nights, it was hitting her the hardest. she had to hold back the tears. peko pekoyama doesn't cry...is what she would say if she wasn't being so sensitive right now. even with tagaki, she never felt like this. she never felt the need to sit up in the middle of the night and question whether or not someone really liked her or if it was just because they were being a good friend and helping you out. she also never had to revisit her entire life's memories and think about moments that just made her love him even more. 

being in love was a drug and peko was it's bitch.

she felt something moving from beside her. _oh shit, she forgot about fuyuhiko sleeping on her chest._ he stirred again, resting his chin on her body to be able to look up at her. "mm...why're you awake, panpan?" he mumbled, his voice and eyes still laced with sleep. yet he didn't hesitate to use the nickname he always called her. wholesome.

"go back to sleep, hiko," she mumbled, reaching over and gently rubbing his hair. it made him fall asleep faster. and she really didn't need him to ask if she was crying.

the yakuza moved, attempting to get a better view of her face. "i woke up because i... _yawn..._ felt like you were upset or somethin', you okay?" he asked.

peko leant over and kissed his forehead, nodding to answer his question. "of course i am...just can't sleep."

fuyuhiko nodded, cuddling up to her side again. "let's try to sleep now, okay?"

peko nodded, finally closing her eyes and cuddling into him. 

maybe she didn't have to worry after all.

* * *

during the next morning's breakfast, the girls decided to sit alone to talk about dress plans and getting ready later that night, leaving the boys to...sit together. that works. peko sat down next to sonia, sighing into her coffee. 

"peko? what is wrong? you look like you've barely slept." sonia asked, changing the topic immediately. the girl always had a knack for knowing when someone was upset. 

ibuki looked up from her costuming sketchbook. "my bet says it was fuyuhiko! magical night, peko-chan?"

"i-i don't even wanna...know what you're implying...i-ibuki." mikan said, shooting a sympathetic look to her.

a yawn came before the next voice. chiaki. "it's okay to be tired..." another yawn. classic chiaki.

peko nodded. yeah, it was because of fuyuhiko, but it wasn't in _that_ way. as much as she loved ibuki, the rockstar had a way of making things a little too vulgar for her taste. "i mean- it was just some late night thoughts. nothing too important." she said dryly. 

knowing that she was okay, the group's attention went back to talking aimlessly about their plans of getting ready and the party later that night. apparently, ruruka and sonosuke had scoured enough money from ruruka's dad to rent out a hall not too far away from the school. sonia even took the liberty of renting the gang a limo. peko still kept quiet, calmly drinking her coffee until she felt her phone go off in her pocket. oh, who could it be? she took out the device, reading the pop-up on her lockscreen.

**_chiaki nanami:_ ** _'are you sure you're okay?'_

oh. it was just chiaki. peko looked across the table, seeing her absorbed in her phone already. maybe she was just playing a game, but something told her that the gamer was starring and waiting for a text. oh gosh.

_**peko pekoyama:** _ _'yes. i am okay. thank you for asking.'_

hopefully that was a fine enough answer to throw her off- **DING!**

_**chiaki nanami:** _ _'better be. :3'_

oh god. she was in for a long night.

* * *

the next few hours flew by. classes, more show and tell pda with fuyuhiko, and a long lunch period of chiaki throwing concerned glances at her. as much as she appreciated it, it just added onto the mess of things that was going on. she was already exausted...would she even make it through the party? now, she sat in ibuki's room with sonia doing her hair. ibuki was the first out in her dress, followed by hiyoko, and then mahiru. they wanted the swordswoman to be last so it would be more 'freshly done for fuyuhiko to see.' she didn't know why it was such a big deal for them...she and fuyuhiko went to galas all the time like this for the yakuza.

but then again, most of the time she was going to be looking like a princess and a half, according to chiaki.

a squeal came from the bathroom before the door crashed open, allowing mikan to clatter to the floor and get herself all tangled in her dress. of course. classic mikan. 

while everyone went to go help her up, that meant sonia could finally ask her what she's been wanting to all night. 

"peko," she said softly, tapping the girl's shoulder. "are you and fuyuhiko actually dating?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow...wow wow wow look who's back? hi! this took a while to write yet it's so short. i need to 'ave another folklore listening party and write again!
> 
> but regardless, sonia,,, what's gonna happen with that?
> 
> the next chapter? the big dance!


	5. crash and burn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the dance finally occurs. a night of magic and mystery...what will happen...especially involving peko's ex?

"peko," sonia said softly, tapping the girl's shoulder. "are you and fuyuhiko actually dating?"

of course, the question caught peko off guard, but there was no chance she'd let it show. she was used to lying to people. she nodded her head, looking at sonia through the small mirror in front of them. "of course we are. why do you ask?"

the princess turned peko toward her, grabbing a makeup brush to add finer details to her plain look. "well- remember when we went dress shopping and i was texting fuyuhiko on behalf of you?"

"i believe..." peko raised an eyebrow, careful not to interrupt sonia's handiwork. 

"kazuichi informed me that he was texting on behalf of fuyuhiko...and the next morning, you guys were magically together.."

god. she knew. oh my god. peko's heart sank and her facade broke. "you can't tell anyone- please...- it was a scheme to make tagaki jealous, and we got caught up in the whirlwind..."

sonia gently picked up her hand, cradling it in her own. "peko dear, i am not going to tell anyone! souda and i wanted you guys to get together, even if it may be fake!" the swordswoman let out a sigh of relief, looking up to meet sonia's gaze. she really was being genuine about this. "but...are your feelings for him real?"

there it was. peko knew she'd have to face this from someone someday. she thought it'd be natsumi or hajime, but it came in the form of one of her own best friends. she let out a gentle sigh, turning back to see if anyone from the group that was helping mikan fix her hair was listening, thankfully they weren't. she lowered her voice, leaning into sonia. "...absolutely...i just...don't know how to-" 

  
sonia threw her arms around peko, careful not to wrinkle their dresses or mess up their hair. "i knew it! it is a pleasure to witness yakuza love furl out in front of me~!"  
  
"sonia- you're being a little loud-" peko sighed, hugging her friend back. god, so if it wasn't for sonia and the greasemonkey, none of this would have happened. maybe she owed them a lot more credit. peko's thoughts were interrupted when there was a heavy knock on the door. she let go of sonia to answer, but akane's ears perked up and she almost flung the poor door off of it's hinges, revealing nekomaru suited up on the other side. 

akane jumped up into a hug, not even caring that she could've tripped over her dress like mikan. "cat! i missed ya!" she planted a kiss on his cheek, then his forehead, then his jaw. then he returned it. oh, what it would be like to feel that genuinely- peko was so lovesick that she was getting jealous of akane. yep, that made sense. 

"they're right here, spider!" nekomaru set her down, stepping aside to reveal the clan of shorter boys behind him. they were each clad in suits, masks and colored ties varying across the group. even souda was dressed up nice! must've been sonia's pull. 

ibuki stuck her head out from behind mikan. "y'all look mighty fine to ibuki! especially miss girl right here, see? she looks like a princess!"

mikan's face lit up red. "absolutely n-not...!"

"i agree with ibuki! you look like a princess...princess fiona from shrek!" hiyoko said, the devilish grin getting swept right off of her face as mahiru sent her an icy glare.

the photographer huffed, holding up her camera. "alright, i already took single shots of the girls, so i'll get single shots of the guys, group photos, and then couples?"

the room filled with cheers of excitement per mahiru's request. and as she said couples, peko and fuyuhiko's eyes locked. 

was this really fake?

* * *

photos didn't take too long- and they turned out exceptionally well. after that fiasco, they crowded into the limo that fuyuhiko had ordered, each sitting somewhere next to their date to the dance. peko stayed rigid the entire ride, not even attempting to break into anyone's conversation. even though he had been occupied with talking to kaz and nekomaru, fuyuhiko could still feel his _girlfriend's_ mood...it didn't sit right with him. 

things come to an end eventually, and so did the limo ride. they all got out, tracking their way up to the ballroom of the hotel ruruka had booked for the party. it was a little unnecessary, but the yakuza couldn't complain. she was putting the sixteen of them in a suite for the night. pretty cool if you asked him. as the rest of the group went along, fuyuhiko made sure to hang back for a moment, gently tugging on peko's arm to made sure she stayed back with him. he turned to face her, turning his head up to look at her. "i just want to tell you that i genuinely think you look beautiful tonight."

"thanks." peko said, swallowing all emotion from her face. there was nothing there- just the empty look she had whenever she was feeling not okay.

fuyuhiko's face dropped, and he scooped her hand up in his. "peko- what's going on..?"

peko just looked at him, before looking back to the ballroom doors. "let us go, fuyuhiko." and with that, she dropped his hand, disappearing into the ballroom and to god knows where. something was definitely up...and he just couldn't put his finger on it.

* * *

peko had run off from fuyuhiko. honestly, they just needed to dance together once in front of tagaki once to make this entire plan work. and then she could 'break up' with him and they could go back to their working relationships. no more sleepovers, no more holding hands under the table, no more huddling together outside of the cafe on colder days and sharing a hot brownie. even though they were nice moments, they were overshadowed in being led on. and she wasn't falling for that anymore. 

the girls stayed packed on the dance floor, jamming to whatever song the dj was playing. peko normally wasn't the dancing type, but this was different. it was nice to be distracted. the current song ended, leaving the group to take a minute and readjust. 

"alright, folks!" the dj came across the microphone, gesturing out to the crowd. "grab someone special and hold em close, cause our first slow song of the night is here!"

oh. already? each of the girls mumbled a quick promise to meet by the refreshments after it, parting ways to go couple up with their dates. this left the swordswoman stranded alone, looking around for fuyuhiko...except he was nowhere to be found. she went to go sit down, but was stopped by a gentle hand on her shoulder. "can i help you?" she asked, turning around to face the person. oh. _oh god._

tagaki stood right before her, a mask covering his face. thank god her's covered most of her cheeks, or else she'd be so screwed. "pekoyama." he said, glancing her up and down. "what's a beautiful girl like you doing all alone on the dance floor like this?"

peko stiffened before giving her answer. "thank you, tagaki, but i have a boyfriend- and i just don't know where he is right now- i believe he may be eating." 

the diplomat clicked his tongue, picking up peko's hand. "what's so wrong with friends sharing a dance?" he pulled her closer to him, placing a gentle hand on the small of her back.

she jumped again, the color draining from her face as she felt his grip get slightly tighter.

she would be so screwed if-

* * *

fuyuhiko was in the boys bathroom, standing over a sink. kaz slinked against the stall, staring the other down in the mirror. "you're gonna have to go out there and dance with her at some point. i don't think she's mad-"

"YA DON'T KNOW HER LIKE I DO! SHE GETS ALL TENSE 'ND WEIRD LIKE THAT 'EVER SHE'S UPSET OR MAD! AND I COULDN'T HELP! DO YOU KNOW HOW SHITTY THAT MAKES ME FEEL?" fuyuhiko let loose, his knuckles going white from his grip on the granite. he kicked at the cabinet, walking over next to kaz and slamming himself against the stall.

"c'mon, man! you guys aren't even really dating, so what's the big deal?" the mechanic said, his eyes immediately going wide. he looked at fuyuhiko's reflection, letting out a nervous laugh. "i mean- i know you love her, but you should really consider that this is fake...heh..."

fuyuhiko sighed, punching the stall behind him repeatedly. "i don't care if it's fake! my feelings are real and i'm nervous, goddamnit!"

kazuichi turned his best friend to face the mirror again, gripping his shoulders. "look. you're getting worked up. you're literally a yakuza, dude. girl problems are nothing special to what you do on a day to day basis."

"mhm- i guess. but- she's special to me, you know?" he said, looking at souda...who was now face first in his phone. "HEY! i thought this was pep talk time!"

he shook his head, turning off his device. "nope, not anymore! they're playing a slow song and we better get out there if we both don't wanna be in the doghouse tonight."

with a roll of his eyes, they both ran out and back into the reception hall. fuyuhiko scanned the room...until something caught his eye on the dance floor. it was peko- dancing with another man...wait- was that tagaki? this wasn't going to fly. nope. the yakuza stormed over, standing in front of a nervous peko and a smitten tagaki. "i'm sorry, is there something going on here that i should be aware of, _peko_?" 

peko's head snapped down to look at him, her mouth falling open. but before she could respond, tagaki spoke up. "back off, runt. i scooped her up when you stranded her. seems to be following in the footsteps of you. now make like a tree and fuck off. that's yours too, right peko, dear? didn't he come up with that dumb saying?"

now, fuyuhiko wasn't one to run from his battles, but this left him speechless. not even peko was saying anything- and she always came to his defense- he felt like he was going to be sick. 

"everyone says it about you," tagaki continued, taking his focus off of peko and onto fuyuhiko. "small dogs shouldn't bark so loud. so take your misery and get away from us. run along, little doggy."

fuyuhiko took in a breath, turning straight on his heel and bolting it for the hallway.

* * *

oh my god. _oh my god._ peko bit her lip, tearing herself away from tagaki after fuyuhiko started running. "i can't- you can't talk to him like that- and-"

"and what peko? because you're in love with him? because you've had your little wakeup call that just because he treats you like a decent person, that you're his bitch?" tagaki spat, stepping forward toward her again. 

she took a step closer to him, too. fight fire with fire. "be quiet, tagaki."

"i gave you that same respect. more than he's shown in his entire life to you. and you threw it away." another step forward.

" _be quiet_ , tagaki." another step forward.

"it's not my fault he treats you like a good for nothing-"

 **slap.** peko slapped him, and without thinking, turned and bolted out of the room and into the hallway. there was a noise coming from the stairwell: a rare noise that peko knew like the back of her hand...fuyuhiko's crying. she raced over, walking up to the next landing.

it didn't take long for the yakuza to spot her. "go away."

"fuyuhiko...i'm so-" she started, cutting herself off when fuyuhiko held up a hand. she was already choking back on tears- please don't start crying- please please please-

fuyuhiko shook his head. "i don't want to hear it, peko." his voice was straining out. "i saw it, you got him back, congratulations, you don't need my help anymore."

"i didn't _want_ that- he started dancing with me and wouldn't let me go-" she said, letting the tears finally come down. her mascara was the first thing to go- poor girl.

those blue eyes pierced through her like a damn bullet. "i'm sorry that happened, but i don't think it's my place to protect you anymore- i need to spare my feelings-"

"your feelings?" peko scoffed, raising an eyebrow at the yakuza. "you're saying your feelings, but i have been sitting here, day after day, sparing my own feelings. and when i finally get the time to act on them for real-"

"for real? what the FUCK is that supposed to mean, peko? you're the one who brought up the idea of fake dating to ME! your feelings my ass, you did this to win back tagaki." fuyuhiko said, his voice slightly raising as he spat the words out. 

peko took in a breath, taking a few steps closer to him. "you know what i mean, kuzuryu. we never had to kiss, we never had to fall asleep together, or go on dates outside of whatever this was! you literally treated me like a girlfriend, did you not expect me to rethink our entire relationship and fall for you?"

"i'm calling bullshit on that." fuyuhiko said, folding his arms over his chest. he glared at peko, shaking his head slowly. "how did you not pick up on MINE? how you abandoned me for that...that asshole? absence sure makes the heart grow fucking stronger, peko. because news flash, i'm fuckin' in love with you."

"i don't care! this isn't what this is about!" peko spat.

"yes it LITERALLY is!" fuyuhiko flung his arms out to the side.

"well i don't want it to be if you're going to act like an ass about all of this-" peko sighed, turning around to face the bottom of the steps...and she froze up.

ibuki stood stuck in one spot, mouth dramatically agape.

**fuck.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey y'all! sorry there hasn't been any buzz on this book like...at all. life caught up and now i'm caught up with life, so i'm writing my fics again! this year keeps on going, man...
> 
> anyways, how're we feeling about the angst? what will ibuki do? leave your predictions below :)


End file.
